U.S. rolls past Canada in WJC semifinal

The overtime win by the United States over Canada to capture the gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2010 was stunning. The rout by the Americans over their northern rival three years later might be more shocking.

John Gaudreau continued his torrid stretch with two more goals and John Gibson thoroughly shut down the Canadians in a one-sided 5-1 victory Thursday for the U.S. in the semifinals of the 2013 tournament at Ufa, Russia.

It means the U.S. will play for the gold medal against defending world junior champion Sweden on Saturday, making it the first time that the Americans have a chance to win it all since their seminal moment in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan when John Carlson brought them gold with his overtime score.

Few could have seen this result coming. The United States was thought to have a good shot at winning gold this time around but suffered consecutive 2-1 losses to Russia and Canada in the preliminary round before beating Slovakia to clinch a spot in the medal round.

Canada rolled through Group B play with four straight wins by a combined 21-8 score to clinch a spot in the semifinals. But the U.S., which has won three in a row in convincing fashion, appears to be peaking and played with a greater sense of urgency.

U.S. captain Jake McCabe got his squad off to a terrific start with two goals in the first period against Canadian netminder Malcolm Subban. The Americans continued to dominate in every facet of the game during a second period that saw them double their advantage.

Gaudreau beat Subban with a low shot on a rush and Jim Vesey made it 4-0 at 12:44 of the second, forcing Canada coach Steve Spott to pull Subban -- the brother of Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban -- in favor of Jordan Binnington.

Canada began to push back in the third and got a shorthanded goal from Ty Rattie. But Gibson, whom the Ducks took in the second round of the 2011 draft, continues to star in the American goal as he made several point-blank saves and stopped 33 shots in all.

Gaudreau, a Calgary Flames prospect with seven goals in the past three victories, finished the win off by beating Binnington on a counterattack to put the U.S. in position for its third world junior gold medal.

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